Something about Snow
by katiebabey
Summary: A secret from Abby's past resurfaces after 10 years. Her sister, Lauren.
1. Lauren

Disclaimer: Don't own em', I just like 2 toy with em'!  
Contact me @ : blame_it_on_the_parents@hotail.com  
Summary: Abby's sister arrives back after not seeing her in nearly 10 years. Could they be the answer to each others prayers?  
Title: Lauren  
Chapter: Something about snow.  
Sharp snowflakes fell from the sky and bounced off of Lauren's nose. She sat there shivering, taking it all in. There was something about snow. Something sad and mournful, something that had always been the backdrop of her life. Abby could never know her secrets. Lauren ran through the story once more in her head: adopted by a nice couple in California, attended a good school, had a pet dog called rover and a white picket fence around the large, landscaped garden; the Jones' had money don't you know. Lauren laughed to herself. This was great thing about coming back after so long, she could pretend that this was really true, she had the idyllic childhood she could have never had with Maggie. Mr and Mrs Jones treated her as their own, she was going to go to medical school in fall. They were going to be waiting for her at the airport and crying as she left. Yes, Abby, despite being taken into care at the age of 11 I am a success, I promise.   
  
Abby looked over at Carter, deep in thought as usual. Then she looked directly opposite to where Jake Carter was exiting the hospital. He was the same height as Carter, same build, in fact if it wasn't for his lost, innocent brown eyes he could have been Carter. Jake still had an innocence about him though, still had something that made him hopeful when Carter would have felt defeated, difference in generations she supposed. Jake had turned up only recently, taking Carter' place as the black sheep of the family for wanting to follow in his cousins foot steps and go to medical school. After a big family row Jake found himself staying at Abby's flat, the one they more or less shared now. She liked him, he was like a mini Carter, one that Carter found intolerable.  
  
Lauren walked into the hospital, taken aback at how quiet it was, must have been a good day. However, the lack of rush and crowds made her feel more exposed, as if every Dr, Nurse and patient stared at her on the way in with more intent. She scanned among the many faces, focusing in on one. There she was, smiling at a tall, brooding Dr, chatting away. This was it. Make or Break.  
"Excuse me, Abby Wycenski?"  
"Uh…Lockhart, can I help you?" She must be married, maybe this Dr was the man, they seemed very intimate, relaxed, maybe she was happy.  
"My names Lauren, Lauren Wycenski." She paused, Abby breathed silently as the silence fell between them, slicing Abby like a knife.   
"Lauren?" She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Lauren didn't know what to say. Why exactly had she come here? To see Abby again, her beauty and kindness that always used to fascinated her? To make Abby love her like the sister she was supposed to be? To be part of the Abby-Eric club? A club she was deeply jealous of, something she thought, if it hadn't have been for her mother, she would have been part of. Abby tossed her arms around Lauren regardless of the eyes burning her back from Carter's direction.   
  
Abby easily took Lauren's suitcase upstairs sad that it was so light, as if she had no past to carry around with her, no memories that she wished to keep. There was a certain beautiful sadness about Lauren, the way she moved, the way she smiled with tears in her eyes. Maybe Abby was wrong, maybe the guilt she'd felt all these years was unnecessary, maybe she had been loved, taken away from the mother that could have destroyed her and the illness that still might. Abby's mother used to joke that Lauren was the last thing her father did before he left. The final mistake that man made. It saddened Abby to think how hard it must have been for her. Being taken away when you were eleven after knowing your mother, your sister, your brother.   
  
"Happy birthday for yesterday by the way" Abby smiled as she said it, trying to show how she remembered everything, still loved her, thought about her everyday, cared for her as if she were her own daughter.  
"You remembered?" Lauren asked smiling, wanting to fling her arms around Abby and never let go. She wanted to feel loved and clean and wanted Abby to talk about her and say 'this is my younger sister Lauren' and go shopping with her. But Lauren had learned never to become too attached. It was the worst mistake a foster kid could ever make.  
"So eighteen, allowed into the big wide world!" Abby smiled at her fondly.  
"Yep, eighteen and out, that was our motto." She suddenly realised she'd made a huge error. The white picket fence, remember? Your past was whatever you wanted it to be. But it was too late, her past had tripped her up and overtaken her, she was losing the race, winner takes all, winner gets to erase you. Lauren laughed nervously before changing the subject, but what did you change the subject to when there were so many subjects? 


	2. Small, beautiful world

Lauren stared at the ceiling. All her life she had never known her roots, where she belonged. Was this it? Here, with Abby? She'd wanted to talk to Abby all night, about everything she'd learned but didn't want to seem too clingy so just opted to go to bed 'it had been a long day'.  
  
When she woke up there were noises coming from all over the flat, voices. When she had gone to bed it had just been her and Abby and now there seemed to be a houseful. Lauren nervously crept out of the bedroom and peered round the hall. Maybe this was Dr. Lockhart, maybe they were married, they might even have kids for all Lauren knew.  
  
"Hi" Lauren half whispered, half said, embarrassed about still being in her pyjamas. Everyone else was though.   
"Hey, did you sleep well?"   
"Yes thank you" was the simple reply, better than 'no I was up all night trying to figure out how I should act so you might want to keep me'.  
"What do you want for breakfast?" Abby asked, as if this was the normal thing they did every morning, like Lauren had always lived here. Lauren loved the way that felt, the sense of belonging, the sense of ease.  
"I normally just grab a cigarette and a black coffee" Lauren said apologetically.   
"Hey, me too!" Abby sighed, Lauren smiled back at her. "right, I should really introduce you! Lauren this is John Carter, Carter this is my younger sister Lauren." Lauren was going to cry, she had to fight it, don't get too attached. Please. She was so wrapped up in the description she didn't catch the name of Abby's boyfriend, but it wasn't Lockhart. As she smiled awkwardly at Carter she couldn't help but think that he reminded her of someone, but who was it? Just as Lauren was thinking Abby went to introduce someone else. "Lauren this is…" But before she could finish Lauren had already finished her sentence.  
"Jake" He stopped in his tracks, enamoured by the fact Lauren, the Lauren was Abby's sister and she was living here. She began to grow worried by his silence but the face she had fallen in love with so long ago cracked into that same huge grin. He stepped forward and embraced Lauren like they were long lost friends, in a small, small world, and in a way that was true.  
"You look great!" Jake exclaimed making Lauren smile, of course that was his intention, to make her smile, she had such a beautiful smile.  
"Wait a minute, how in hells name do you know each other?" Abby and Carter were both shocked. Jake answered.  
"This is the very same Lauren I was in love with not many year ago, but alas she broke my heart." He joked, he was always cockier than Carter Abby had noted, but was still incredibly intrigued at how they knew one another.  
"Hey, I had to move, I didn't do it on purpose!" Lauren joked as she jabbed him in the ribs. Jake smiled, but it was a sad smile. Lauren was the most beautiful, smart, loyal person he had ever met. He wasn't joking when he said he had been in love with her. He was 19 now but she was still the biggest love so far, from the age of fourteen to sixteen. He remembered the exact dates in his head.  
"This really doesn't happen in real life" Lauren said looking at the ground. This was too weird. It had never occurred to her that Jake might be in Chicago, she knew that's where his family lived, but the thought hadn't crossed her mind.  
"I'm still confused, how do you know each other?" Abby asked again, impatient now, Lauren was right, it couldn't be that small a world, could it?  
"Well let me tell the story. One day I am walking down the school hall, this is way back when I was at high school in California, and I see this new girl. I thought she was just shy so I span her one of my lines and she punched me in the face. What can I say, I always liked a challenge!" Lauren smiled, thanking him with her eyes for not telling the real story. The story of how she had been sent to the nurses office covered in bruises, how he was there too, feeling sick and had talked to her, how she was so high on acid she told him her life story, and how he followed her home, captivated with her, and punched her foster dad as he beat her mercilessly on the trashy front lawn. He didn't talk about how he saved her life. He didn't talk about how they ran away to be together, he didn't hint that they'd lost their virginity to one another, or that things had ended very badly between them. But the sadness in his eyes took her back. But they were older now, she was older, but the ache in her bones had returned, the one that wanted to feel his embrace, the one that was a shield from the outside world. 


End file.
